Safety of Africa’s Skies prompts urgent Regional action

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

As aviation remains a powerful instrument of economic, social and cultural development and the war on terrorism continues to suck in willing and unwilling participants, Africa and the Indian Ocean region (AFI) is looking to strengthen its safety oversight capabilities.

This explains why safety and efficiency were at the fore front during the March 26-27 first African Indian Ocean Regional Air Safety Group (RASG) in Kampala- Uganda. This meeting ran back-to-back with the 18^th African- Indian Ocean Regional Planning and Implementation Group (APIRG) meeting.

“Even with the improvements we have seen in the region, one accident is always one too many, and the loss of one life, is one too many. The world has entrusted us with a noble mission, to protect the lives and well-being of the traveling public.

“We have, and must, continue to do everything within our power to make sure that air travelers get to their destination safely and unharmed,” secretary General of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Raymond Benjamin told the gathering.

Raymond recognized the efforts of individual states and industry partners geared toward flight safety, but urged for concerted efforts on a region-wide basis.

With this in mind, the Secretary General went on to say that ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission proposed to create a new framework for monitoring progress, coordinating actions among states and making recommendations to ICAO that would facilitate the implementation of the Global Air Navigation Plan and the Global Aviation Safety Plan and its associated Global Aviation Safety Roadmap.

He emphasized that the Kampala meet would offer Africa an opportunity to follow suit.

Benefits of the RASG will include increased awareness of safety issues in the region and provide mechanisms for addressing them.

“The AFI Planning and Implementation Regional Group will serve as a regional cooperative forum for Africa, integrating global, sub-regional, national and industry efforts in pursuing the enhancement of aviation safety.”

Admitting the region’s safety record to be wanting, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Managing Director, Dr. Rama Makuza pointed out resource inadequacies as well as the management and setting of priorities as the biggest challenges.

“An aircraft accident may occur from failures at the scene, but we also know that accidents in our industry are increasingly associated with some root system causes, largely linked directly or indirectly to the peak of the responsibility hierarchy.”

Makuza called for a budgeting that emphasizes high priority programmes and the holding of meetings at the highest representation possible in order to move forward faster and firmly.

Minister of works and transport Hon. Abraham Byandaala told PNS in an interview that Uganda is getting a US $ 15 million loan from Spain to upgrade the radar system so that it can detect even the military planes that evade the current system. Another US $ 15 million will be a grant.

The minister further revealed that he is writing a paper for cabinet to ensure that the country gets a national airliner.

“At the time of privatization, the reasoning was that Uganda Airlines was only getting funds from the treasury.

“But a new position is emerging. Airlines, the world over, do not make money but significantly contribute to tourism, the economy and general development.”

On the implementation of ICAO’s recommendations two years ago, the minister said that Uganda was yet to fully comply due to two major issues with CAA. The minister said that the first reason is about Civil Aviation Authority’s quest for autonomy. The second concerns getting a separate monitoring entity.

“Presently the CAA is monitoring those doing business while at the same time it is also engaged in business. This causes conflict of interest.”

The Kampala APIRG meeting, the minister observed, is reviewing and considering the status of implementation of Decisions and Conclusions made at the 17^th APIRG held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in August 2010.

“The Air Safety Group is on its part reviewing the regional, interregional and global flight safety activities including technical cooperation plans and programmes.”

The meeting comprised of ICAO Council Members, over 250 delegates from member states of the Africa-Indian Ocean region and international aviation organisations. ICAO is a UN agency responsible for 191 agencies of aviation. ICAO was at the meeting for mainly safety, security and sustainability reasons.

The Secretary General stressed that security is a global concern and that “if you do not dedicate a lot of money on security then you will not have flights.” He added that ICAO has proposed new security measures which include e-ticketing, e-passports and               e-identities in a bid to curb terrorism. This will make it easy to avail information about a passenger and identify wrong characters.